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UAE authority seizes over 17.6 million of illegal goods in first half of 2025
Among the seizures were 11.52 million packs of tobacco without Digital Tax Stamps and not registered in the FTA’s electronic system
- PUBLISHED: Mon 11 Aug 2025, 2:41 PM UPDATED: Mon 11 Aug 2025, 2:53 PM
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) seized more than 17.6 million non-compliant excise goods — including tobacco products, soft drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages — during record nationwide inspections in the first half of 2025.
The 85,500 field visits carried out between January and June marked a 110.7 per cent jump from the same period last year, bringing in Dh357.22 million in taxes and fines — up 86.29 per cent from Dh191.75 million in 2024. The campaigns were conducted in cooperation with local authorities.
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Among the seizures were 11.52 million packs of tobacco without Digital Tax Stamps and not registered in the FTA’s electronic system, more than double last year’s 5.52 million packs. Introduced in 2019, the stamp system allows each pack to be tracked from production or import through to sale, ensuring excise tax is paid and curbing smuggling and counterfeiting.
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Inspectors also confiscated 6.1 million bottles and cans of non-compliant beverages — more than 3.5 times the 1.74 million seized in the first half of 2024. Under UAE excise tax law, carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages are taxed to reduce consumption of unhealthy products. From 2026, sugar-sweetened beverages will be taxed according to sugar content, replacing the current flat rate.
Sara AlHabshi, Executive Director of Tax Compliance at the FTA, said the authority’s use of advanced digital monitoring tools has strengthened market oversight and improved enforcement efficiency. “These technologies are critical in identifying and removing smuggled goods that fail to meet UAE tax requirements,” she said, adding that inspections will continue nationwide to protect consumers and ensure businesses comply with tax laws.
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.